Bill Schrull
Monday, 9/16 was the day for witnessing the launch of the Mission Boat. The Mission Boat project is one that Bishop Kodia brought to my attention during his visit with us at St. Paul’s back in February of this year. He expressed how the Diocese of Bondo has a mission church on Mageta Island, which is on Lake Victoria. Transport boats that service the island are slow, unreliable, and potentially unsafe. He wanted to build a “Mission” boat that would service the island community, not only with spiritual leadership but also with practical purposes, such as reliable, safe, and fast service. Also, the boat would be fully covered for shade and rain protection and would be available for any medical emergencies. It could also transport goods to and from the island.
Friends in the Companions in Missions network suggested we apply for a grant from the ECCT Sustainable Development Grant program. We worked on a budget that included $1700 from the Diocese of Bondo, $1000 from St. Paul’s Church Brookfield, and $7200 from the SD Grant. We applied for the grant in May and received approval from the Companions in Mission Ministry Network of ECCT, which manages the grant review process. In early July, we transferred the $8200 from the USA to the diocese, and in short order, they began and completed the process of building the boat from July to September. The following YouTube video shows the launching of the Mission Boat. It was a pleasure for me to witness the completion of this project and to represent St. Paul’s Church, Companions in Mission, and the Episcopal Church in Connecticut on this special occasion.
The following day, from Usenge Beach, we formally dedicated and commissioned the boat for service. I had the privilege of being one of the guest speakers during the dedication service. I’m so pleased with the entire process and good management the diocese provided to complete the project. Right from the beginning of construction in July, they had people assigned to manage the project and keep things moving and on time.
Once again, I want to thank St. Paul’s for supporting this mission partnership with the Diocese of Bondo. None of this could have happened without your support. And I thank the Companions in Mission Ministry Network for your generous financial support with the SD Grant. It’s a privilege to serve with you all in the CMM Network.
_________ 9/18 ____________
So today, I’m finally getting some time to relax at the Kodia’s home in Kisumu. I did take a long walk with Lynnette and Laura Kodia to downtown Kisumu to pick up some computer supplies for the college. I’ll do some consulting work today, too, but mostly, just relax.
Yours in Christ,
Bill
Hello all. I made it to Kisumu. I continued my trip on 9/13 on a flight from Dubai to Nairobi. I got to the hotel at 8:30 PM. After a light dinner, I hit the sack. The next morning, I got to the Airport early and flew from Nairobi to Kisumu to meet up with Bishop David and one of his four daughters, Paula. A short time later, we were in downtown Kisumu, where they live. That’s when the real fun started.
I was greeted with a beautifully constructed cake that Lynnette made. As you can see, her confectionary skills are impressive (most impressive!). Shortly after, we were off to Bondo, a little over an hour away. David’s family arranged for a surprise birthday party for him with members of his staff and other leaders in the diocese. One of the challenges of going out that far from their home was that I needed to be back to host a Zoom meeting
with the Companions in Mission Ministry Network group at 4 PM. I was trying to be polite and not be a clock watcher.
Of course, it all worked out perfectly. When the celebration was over, we drove back and got to their home at 3:50 PM. I hosted the meeting right on time. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing and hanging out together.
This morning, David and I left to go to his original home parish (where he grew up) to conduct a Confirmation service. Kandaria Parish is near Bondo, so we had to leave around 7:30 AM. One thing I know about Confirmation services in this part of the world is that they are special parish celebrations. They take time.
In Kenya, or at least with Bishop David, I’ve noticed that he likes to meet with the confirmands before the service. He asks them many questions about faith and biblical persons and events and really engages with them in a light, friendly manner.
The worship in Kenya is quite different from that I’ve experienced in western Tanzania. The framework of the service is similar, but the singing and sound are different. In Kenya, they rely more on acapella singing with occasionally pre-recorded accompaniment. As you’ll see with future posts from my stay in Tanzania, there is a much higher sound volume in the Tanzania church. I enjoy both, but I do like the sound of the acapella voices more.
After worship, we had lunch with the parish leaders and then returned to Kisumu. That’s where I am now, waiting for the 10:30 AM service to start at St.ld. Paul’s Brookfie We will all be watching the live stream at that time (5:30 PM Kisumu time).
That’s it for now. I’ll post an update mid-week.